Why WashU Section Editor

Congratulations on your achievements thus far, and welcome to WashU! I’m Joanna, and I call both Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis my homes — having now lived here for over four years while I completed my WashU undergraduate degrees in anthropology and spanish in 2023. As I considered numerous medical school factors and different opportunities, I found that I would always come back to comparing every other option to WashU. From the unparalleled education that is housed on this campus to the driven, compassionate medical mentors to the inspiring WashU Med community and my caring, collaborative peers, I am so fortunate and so proud to be able to learn and grow into a future physician here at WashU Med and in St. Louis. And so, I hope that this Dis-O Guide will help you find a similar light and see a bit of what drew me here. I would not choose to be anywhere else. When I’m not studying, you can find me reading, buying too much coffee, drawing, playing violin, and visiting parks or museums. Please feel free to contact me by email (joanna.li@wustl.edu) or introduce yourself to me on campus. I would love to meet and get to know you!

Hello, and welcome to WashU! My name is Nikita and I’m from Portland, Ore. I graduated from Temple University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, as well as a Spanish minor. I spent my gap year in sunny San Diego, doing a post-baccalaureate stem cell research fellowship at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. I am so excited to be at WashU Med and hopefully be a friendly face for y’all. I remember being hesitant about moving to the Midwest since I had been a bicoastal girl through and through before coming to WashU. But, now that I’m here, I know I made the right choice. The appeal of WashU Med, in many ways, speaks for itself. Personally, the breadth of neuroscience research, unique curriculum, and, most importantly, supportive and down-to-earth community is what drew me in. The Dis-O Guide was really helpful to me as I was making my decision to attend WashU Med and I hope it can similarly give you a glimpse into our lives here in St. Louis. Good luck with your decision-making and reach out (n.sajeev@wustl.edu) if I can ever be of any help!